Submarine-boat structure.



PATENTED JUNE 2a, 1903.

H. N. RIDGWAY. SUBMARINE BOAT STRUCTURE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 22, 1908;.

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we senses t niest @rrrciu HERBERT N. RlDG-NAY, Olelhfl'ilTHROP, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO AUTOMGTGUS BOAT COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A (JOB? PQRATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

SUBMARlNE EOAT STRUCTURE.

GYECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 731,500, dated June 23, 1903.

Application filed January 22, 1903. Serial-No. 4 (N0 model-l Tofal'l whom it may concern.- V

Beitknown that I, HERBERT N. Brnowav, aeitizen of the United States, residing at *Winth'rop, in the county of Snfiolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvex'nent in Submarine Structures, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like letters on the drawing representing like parts.

The invention herein to be described and exemplified-in a boat or vessel has for its object more especially to provide a structure of the kind referred to the top of which is normally below the waterdevel with a.conningtower the maybe projected from the water over the bp of the boat or vessel. The conhing-tower has water-tight fit in the top of the vessel, and the open upper-end of the tower is provided with a cover mounted on a carrier adapted to be moved by actuating devices to lift thecoverfrorn the upper end of the to or when above the water and also to close s id cover'irate tight before the tower retracted into the v ssel. The tower, it

it may be moved vertically, is connected with a piston fitting a cylinder and adapted to be i moved therein longitudinally of the axis of the tower hy a fluid to thereby project the tower and its closed cover above the water.-

I The piston connected with the conning-tower is bored for part of its length from its upper end and receives the cover-carrier, shown end of said stairway being sustained by the sleeve connected with said piston near its lower end.

The drawing shows my invention in submerged vessel or boat in one approved form.

In the drawing, A represents a vessel or vboat the body of which is shown as of fish shape} but which maybe of any desired shape.

not necessary to be herein shown.

The top or deck A of the vessel or boat is shown as submerged below thewater-level B, and the stern of the vessel has a propeller B, which may be rotated in any usual manner The inte rior of the vessel may be divided up into compartments in any usual manner, not necessary to be herein shown, and the body of the veseel may be composed of any usual materials united into the desired outline or shape in any usual manner.

The chief feature of invention to be herein specifically described and claimed relates to the conning-tower, and I will now describe the same. This tower comprises a circular curb or wall 0 shown as sustained by rods 0, connected with a disk. C to be described. The exterior of the curb has a Water-tight fit in a packed gasket D, secured water-tight to the body in usual manner and having a ringshaped follower D .to meet the packing D and force the same water-tight against the curb G. v

instead of the gasket shown I may use any other equivalent means for securing a'watertight fit for the curb. The disk G has rising from it a sleeve 0 the upper end of which at apoint above'the cylinder 64, which may be erected. on a fixed head or plate a by screws 0?, is fixed to the exterior of the tower" moving piston 0 Between the exterior of the upper portion of the piston C and the interior of the tower I have arranged a spiral staircase E, that is fixed with relation to said piston and tower, and said stairs at the lower end'thereof em brace the sleeve C and meet substantially the disk 0 so that the tower, its piston, and the stairsmove together-as the tower is pro ject'ed from the top of the vessel above. the

waterdine,

The piston C, the lower end of which on tore the cylinder at, is bored for part of its length to leave a chamber a, in which enters the cover-carrier aishown as a piston'rod depending from the cover G,.shown as a circular plate, there i being a packing b of any usual construction that when the cover is made to contactwith the upper end of the curb of the tower will close said upper end.

water-tight. The head a of the cylinderhas connected with it a pipe I) for the admission of a fluid into the cylinder oi to raise the piston ,and tower and project the top of the closed cover above the water-level. b has a three-wavvaive 12 that may be turned into a position 'TO enable the water forced into the sai'i. cylinder to pass away outside the vessel or into any usnai well as valve 0 is passed through the disk 0 and coiled inside the circular well G in which the disk 0 is located, said pipe being led through said Well. This coiling oi the pipe permits the piston G andhead C to rise and fall and with it the pipe 0 and valve c.

When water is admitted through pipe 5 into the cylinder in which the lower end of thepiston .0 stands, the piston and tower, stairs, and cover, then covcred'by the water,

are raised until the top of the tower rises above the water-line into the dotted-line position,and thereafter-the valve 0 is opened to admit water into the chamber a whieh' acting immediately on the lower end of the carrier a lifts the cover G into the dottedeline position. With the top of the tower at the proper position above the water-level and the cover open a'pehs ohf may walk up the stairs and may look in all directions or might take a small boat or step on a dock properly located for the purpose, and in this way, it desired, a person may leave the vessel and return the same Way. the horizon fora proper period may pass down the stairs and after turning the valve c to let the water escape from the chamber a" the carrier and cover will descend on the open upper end of the tower and close the same water tight, and then an attendantbya suit able wrench inserted through a hole din. the disk C will turn the valve 1) and let the wa ter escape from the cylinder a, during which time the tower is retracted into the vessel below the water-line or substantially as shown by full lines in the drawin The curb and piston may be of any suitable length, according to the conditions of us of the Vessel, the Water, 850. r

The curb will have preferably suitable windows 6, through which a person may see The pipe A person havingviewed' adapted to shut water-tight on said tower, 'means to move the end of said tower outwardly from the top of said vessel, and means to thereafter remove said cover from said tower:

2. l 'vessel, a conning-tower having a. water-tight fit in the top of said vessel, a stairway inside said tower, a cover to shut said tower water-tight where exposed at the top of said vessel, means to elevate said tower and stairs in said vessel to'project the tower above the waterdine, and means to thereafter auto matically remove the cover from said tower. 3. A vessel, 2. conning-tower having its upper end fitted watertight in the top of said Vessel, a piston connected with said tower, a cylinder to contain said pistcma cover to close said tower water-tight, means to permit the entrance of fluid into said cylinder to actuate with said cover and entering thetower-movsaid tower-moving piston to move the cover and open the end of the tower above the watardine.

the same and entering said cylinder, a sleeve' connected with said piston and having a disk and a pipe located in said-Welland having a in said disk.

5. in a vessel, a well, a cylinder erected in tight fit in the top of said vessel and having sleeve connected with said piston and surrounding said cylinder, said sleeve having a disk entering said well, a cover for Said tower, and means to admit fluid to said cylinder to project said closed tower for the desired distance above the top of said vessel.

6. In a vessel, well, a cylinder erectedin said well, a conning-tower having a watertight iit in the top of said vessel and having a connected piston entering said cylinder, a sleeve connected with said piston and surrounding'said cylinder, said sleeve having a disk enterin'gsaid well, a cover for said tower, means to admit a fluid to said cylinder to project said closed tower for the desiredidistance above the top of said vessel, and means to admit fluid into the upper part of said piston to raise said cover from said tower after the latter has been projected above the waterline.

in. testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

N. RIDGWAY. lVitnesses l Geo. JV. GREGORY, Grins. Brnowav.

4. In avessel, a well, a cylinder erected in said well,,a conning-tower, a piston carryingenterin'g said well, said disk having a hole,"

valve that may he reached through theholesaid well, conning-towe'r having a watera connected piston entering said cylinder, .a-

said piston and project the tower from the top of the vessel, acarrier connected centrally inc piston, and means to permit fluidto enter 

